Factor Contributing to the Misuse of Public Space in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, George Town, Penang

Abstract

UNESCO World Heritage Site is situated in George Town, Penang. Most of the space inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site has a variety of business sectors. The traders are doing their business on a regular basis in their space and at the open space. Meanwhile, hawkers move from one place to another. However, there are also traders and hawkers that invade and do business in a public space and it causes the rise of conflict in public space. This study aims to identify factors that lead to misuse of public space in the World Heritage Site George Town, Penang. Questionnaires were conducted on a total of 312 traders and hawkers. Results of the questionnaire showed that the main cause of the problem is because Penang is famous for street food vendors. Thus, this study is very useful in ensuring the sustainability of public space, and the role of George Town Heritage City as a role model of the urban heritage preservation in the modern urban city.